New York judges to receive first pay raise in five years, starting April 2024

December 6, 2023 Robert Abruzzese, Courthouse Editor

Helene Blank (left), a past president of the Brooklyn Women's Bar Association, pictured here with Hon. Marsha Steinhardt, served on the NY Judicial Compensation Panel.
Photo: Rob Abruzzese/Brooklyn Eagle

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New York State’s judges are poised for a significant salary increase, the first since 2019, following a unanimous decision by the Commission on Legislative, Judicial, and Executive Compensation. The recommendation is set to take effect on April 1, 2024.

The Commission, chaired by Hon. Eugene M. Fahey (Ret.), and included Helene Blank, a past president of the Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association, has proposed a 10.3% raise for state judges, elevating the annual salary of New York State Supreme Court Justices to $232,600.

Under the new salary structure, all other state judges, including appellate and administrative judges, will see their salaries adjusted to maintain their current proportion to the Supreme Court Justices’ salaries — no County Court judge, Family Court judge or Surrogate’s Court judge will earn less than 95 percent of a Supreme Court Justice’s salary.

Judges of the New York City Civil Court, the New York City Criminal Court, and other specified courts will earn 93 percent of a Supreme Court justice’s salary.

The salary increase decision was influenced by various factors, including the overall economic climate, rates of inflation, and public-sector spending. The Commission also reviewed compensation levels of the Federal Court judges and other State Court judges, noting that New York judges have not seen any pay increase for over four years, during which time the federal judiciary has seen a continuous rise in compensation.

The proposed salary adjustments also consider the buying power of a judge’s salary, which has diminished by 20 percent since 2019. This disparity is particularly significant given that New York’s judiciary had more than twice the number of case filings as the entire federal court system in 2022.

State Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Brad Hoylman-Sigal expressed support for the raises, highlighting the importance of investing in quality judicial services. Victor Kovner, a Hochul appointee on the panel, emphasized the need for competitive salaries to attract legal expertise, noting that first-year attorneys at top law firms are already earning $215,000.

The commission’s recommendations are legally binding unless actively overridden by the Legislature.